Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company provides trash ands recycling collection services to my town.I did not receive an invoice in December 2023. I did receive a balance statement which indicated that my account had a zero balance. This statement covered the period November 1 through December 31, 3023.I did not receive any other communication from the company in December, 2023.On January 9th, I received an invoice indicating that a charge of $18.86 had been automatically debited from my bank account, failed got insufficient funds, and an additional charge of $50 was note also due for their bank costs related to the bounced payment.I had never received an invoice for the amount of $18.86, had not been notified of any impending charge to my bank account (as is standard practice not only with all the large companies I deal with, but also with those small entities that service only my small community.)I contacted the company to discuss the situation. Being on a fixed income in plan my expenses very closely ands have to carefully time what gets paid when. Automatic payments generally cost me less than sitting checks, so I do automatic payments and carefully manage to date ands timelines so this didnt happen.On January 13 I wrote to the company regarding the issue, complaining about what described above, and also that the company had failed to pick up my recycling for a period of time in excess of six months.Several emails went back and fourth, where it was explained that they did send a zero balance statement, but in their eyes that zero balance was only for a portion of their dealings with me. When I explained no other option had been invoiced, I was told that was probably because they had changed the email account that invoices come from, and of course that invoice will be in my spam folder.When I looked, they did indeed send me an invoice for $18.86. On the very same day that they debited this amount from my bank account. I have run out of space. More to say!

  Business Response

  Date: 03/12/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of ****************, a long time customer of ours. 

  As noted, our company provides trash and recycling disposal services to ******************** where **************** resides.  Her complaint, and her account of the history with our company has several errors and omissions. 

  Curbside collection of trash and recycling is mandated in ********************. The fee to pay for collection is included on homeowner's property tax statements, covering up to 26 trash cans per calendar year.  Each can of trash collected after 26 is invoiced separately to the homeowner.  **************** is aware of this, because she exceeds the total number of cans each year.  In Oct. of 2023 she exceeded the 2023 26-can limit and was sent her first invoice for the extra can collection on 11/14/23.  In November we collected further trash from her property and a second invoice was sent on 12/7/23.  In December we collected additional cans, and that invoice was issued on 1/1/24 These invoices totaled $18.86.

  **************** has participated in our Auto-Pay feature on and off since 2020.  Her most recent participation in the program was added to her account on Jan. 14, 2021. She has been on ***********-Pay with us for 2 years. **************** regularly exceeds the 26-can allotment and receives invoices from us for those services, which have been paid in a timely fashion, largely due to her participation in the Auto-Pay program.  She is well aware how the Auto-Pay system works. 

  As mandated by the ******** Utilities & ************************** we send bi-monthly statements to every homeowner to keep them apprised of the number of trash cans collected to date, and to account for the funds transferred from ************************'s office to our company for the provision of the service.  That statement has been issued to **************** every 2 months since January of 2019 when the program was implemented. That statement always shows a balance owing of $0.00 because it specifically is designed to show the funds have already been transferred from the customer's tax funds to the company. **************** knows this. A copy of the bi-monthly statement sent to **************** on 1/7/24 is attached.

  On January 8/24 we processed our Auto-Pay batch and on 1/9/24 learned that ****************' payment of $18.86 had been declined due to insufficient funds. **************** has refused to pay the *** charge levied against our account as invoiced to her on 1/9/24.

  Additionally, her claim that our company did not provide service to her for 6 months is both false and misleading.  As stipulated in Section 30(4) of the ****** Tariff governing the company, we may refuse service "when, in the company's judgment, driveways or roads are improperly constructed or maintained, do not have adequate turn-arounds, or have other unsafe conditions."  On June 2, 2021, we wrote to every homeowner on Uscandia Lane (where **************** owns a home) to advise that their Private Road had become so overgrown that our trash and recycling vehicles could no longer safely traverse it, advising that it must be trimmed before we could return to normally scheduled collections. We offered to collect their trash and recycling if left at the end of their road where our vehicles could safely perform the task. **************** lives at the very end of that narrow and ill-maintained Private Road.  Eventually the roadway was cleared and we resumed normal collection.

  We respectfully request dismissal of ****************' complaint against the company, and have advised her that she will be liable for late fees if she continues to refuse payment of the legitimate *** charge. 

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2024

   
  Complaint: 21399839
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Its interesting to me that Cando has chosen to mention the period back in 2021 when they refused to pick up recycling in my lane. As they mentioned, they notified me and my two neighboring houses that they felt my lane was overgrown. I immediately took steps to cut it back, then noticed both of my neighbors doing the same. We contacted Cando, separately, to notify that the situation had been addressed, and then nothing. For months. I dont know how many times my neighbors complained, but I did several times but it was only when I reached a live person that recycling pickups recommenced. Cando would like to claim that mismanagement of my lane is the reason they did not perform service in 2021 for six months, but that is inaccurate. Also, they have failed to provide service on numerous occasions, not only the stipulated instance in 2021. 2021 was the only time, though, where they notified me in advance of discontinuing service. All the other times they just stop serving me. This includes failures to serve me for recycling of tins/glass and also a separate pickup of cardboard, and failures to pickup my garbage. Failures to pickup garbage usually result in it being picked up the on the next scheduled pickup day, or a magnanimus offer of a free dump run. These happen infrequently. Failures to pickup cardboard usually result in a promise to pick it up the next day which then doesnt happen, or the next scheduled pickup day, which then doesnt happen. Cardboard failures usually occur repetitively for months at a time. Recycling failures include the time in 2021 which lasted for 6 months after the reported issue had been addressed, or for a period exceeding 4 months in 2023 without receipt of a company concern, and at other times for periods exceeding one month. Once, the fact that an animal had gotten into the tins was given as a reason for not picking up ANY of the recycling, and the company did not accept any responsibility for the length of time between me setting the recycling out (as requested, prior to 8am) and the time the offending recycling was refused (some time after 3pm that same day).
  
  I do think its worthwhile also noting that Cando company arguments, when they come, regarding why they wont properly service my address, fail any basic logic test. For example, despite my lane being so "overgrown" in 2021 that a recycling truck could not navigate it, at no point was it so overgrown that a full size/monster garbage truck could not manage it. For many months in 2023 when the recycling truck did not perform pickups, I was not notified WHY recycling service was discontinued, when I finally reached a live person almost 4 months later, I was told it was because my lane is too soft? Again, if my lane is too soft (its not), how is it that the monstrous garbage truck was able to service the lane during that same period with no problems? It's true that my lane is an unpaved, gravel road. But, it's also true that both the recycling and the garbage truck have been able to navigate my lane at all times of year without this "too soft" issue for 4 years. IF one were to argue the lane is too soft, it would have been too soft for all 4 years? Also, if it's too soft at only some portion of the year, how exactly is it that it's too soft in the driest part of the year, during high summer, but when I call after the winter rains have begun, Cando is then, with a wet gravel lane, able to recommence? There is no logic to it whatsoever.
  
  Also, since were in the topic, I might as well bring up the months and months of time, and then also the sporadic times, when my cardboard is not picked up. I call and find out every time that there really wasnt a reason, I should just wait till my next pickup. Oh, we still didnt take your cardboard? Just wait till the next next pickup. Oh, we didnt pick up your cardboard? Thats because you have Too Much Cardboard. The only reason I have to much cardboard is that its been more than 3 months since Cando picked up my cardboard!

  Occasionally, when I call to ask what is happening with my pickups, I will be magnanimously offered a one-time fee waiver if I choose to take my waste to the dump. I believe I have been offered this dump fee-waiver twice in 4 years. Of course, this offer means that

  a) I have paid for the service I didnt get

  b) I have to expend unpaid time of my own to perform the service I didnt get

  c) I can expect this situation to continue indefinitely and

  d) I should be grateful for the fee waiver.
  
  I will absolutely argue that the reasons given, such as untrimmed overgrowth and soft ground, about why I dont get service are bogus. But I will also argue that even IF the reasons being given were actually valid, I still have a legitimate complaint about not being compensated for all the services I have not been getting. If its somehow impossible for this company to service my address, that does not entitle them to keep money paid for services not rendered, irrespective of the channel in which they collect those fees. 
  
  But I think we need to get back to the other party of my complaint, which is that according to Cando statement of account, see attached, my Account Balance as of December 31, 2024 was $0.00.
  
  They can argue that they sent me invoices from another email address (that I didnt get and cannot confirm for how long I havent been getting them because spam only accrues for 30 days). I do not have a finger on either when or why their OTHER communications went awry. I can only speak to the fact that they DID generate a statement of account that states my balance as of December 31 was $0.00. The last communication I had from them before that statement was issued in November stating that for the months of September and October 2023 my account balance was $0.00.
  
  It's my opinion that Cando would altogether prefer not to service my road at all because it is not a county road, it is privately owned and maintained. I think this is the reason they are constantly coming up with reasons not to properly service my address. The fact of the matter, though, is that they did in fact maneuver with the county so that all property owners in ******************** are obligated to pay via our taxes for service from Cando. Prior to this taxation going into effect, Cando refused to service my street. After it going into effect, Cando begrudgingly provides me only some portion of service but enjoys full payment via my taxes regardless of the quality or Predictability of their service. Because of this taxation situation, and of course also the monopoly, I have no choice to move to another provider. And because of this taxation situation, Cando should NOT be able to arbitrarily choose not to service my address, either fully or partially. IF they are going to choose not to service my address properly, I argue that they should offer me some sort of recompense for that portion of the service that I do not get. A Refund? A credit on my account towards any cans not already paid for by my taxes? Vouchers for free dump runs (they do not offer service for many things, including large items, yard waste, etc.)? Some other creative option that would address to disparity between what I pay for and what I actually get?
  
  I am attaching a copy of the Cando Statements for September-October 2023 and November-December 2023 so that you can see that my account balance is clearly stated as being $0.00.
  
  In conclusion, in addition to Cando having questionable communication practices regarding account balances and invoices, they need to initiate some sort of remuneration program not only for me but for any other PR residents who have been receiving only partial service. For my own part, over time, I have reliably paid for both the "included" (i.e. Pre-taxed) services, and for any "overage" services beyond what the county collects for. Over that same time, Cando has repeatedly failed to provide some portion of the covered service for periods of time that, when added up, certainly exceed one entire year. Absent extremely rare offers for me to perform their work for them, I have not been offered compensation for extensive failures to service my address.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

   

  I have been unable to attach the two statements from Cando. If there is a method that will accept an email, I would like to submit them.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/26/2024

  In fact, the business did Not address the issues in my complaint. The business incorrectly responded to one issue, misrepresented the second issue by going back to a similar unaddressed issue from 2 years ago, not even touching on the issues from 2023 which I raised. This is completely unsatisfactory.